


Brave Enough

by moonstone1520



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, F/M, Sherlock Holmes is Human, Strong Molly, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-08-22 08:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8278859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonstone1520/pseuds/moonstone1520
Summary: He wishes he was brave enough





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by "Brave Enough" by Lindsey Sterling. She's awesome--look her up!

He sat on the edge of her tub, the blood running down his temple, his face an unreadable mask. He didn’t move, didn’t even flinch when the lock jangled. 

He expected the surprised gasp, the short steps that meant she had stumbled, the ooomf of her handbag as it fell to the ground.

He remained frozen as she squeezed past his knees to the First Aid kit she kept above the toilet. She faced him as she pried it open, her tongue clenched between her teeth; she assessed him, deciding what tools to use this time to stitch up his wounds. 

“Head wound?” she asked, after a brief silence. His eyes flicked to hers and away again. 

“Head wound,” he confirmed. 

“Case?”

“Case,” he replied. 

“No John?” she asked gently. He didn’t answer, not that she expected him to. She ran a cloth under the tap and stepped between his knees to dab the blood off his face. His hands automatically flew up to her waist, his thumb absentmindedly caressing her hip. 

“He’s still angry,” he finally said softly. Molly paused for the slightest instance in her ministrations to look down at him. His gaze was still fixed straight ahead on her stomach, but seemed to go through her.

He hissed when he felt the alcohol sting his forehead, and unconsciously tightened his hold on her. Molly, for her part, mumbled an apology as she squinted at his scratch, trying to figure if it needed stitches.

“About today,” he started softly. At his words, Molly stilled.

“I wish I were brave enough,” he murmured. She looked down at him, her expression puzzled.

“To do what?”

He stared at her stomach without answering. After a beat, Molly continued tending to his head wound. _Definitely going to need stitches,_ she thought.

She was so invested in her task she nearly missed his next words.

“I wish I was brave enough to love you.”

She looked down at him a third time and met his eyes. His expression was open, unguarded, and sad.

Molly smiled. “I don't.” His brow furrowed in confusion. “I mean,” she hastened, “I’m not happy you’re, I mean, you wouldn’t be Sherlock if you loved someone–me–that way, would you?”

His grip on her loosened with relief at her words.

“I could be,” he said. Even Molly could see his words were half-hearted.

“Don’t,” she said firmly. “Stay the way you are, Sherlock Holmes.” She looked back at his head and continued to clean the wound. “I’ll be just fine.” 

She was surprised when he snaked an arm around her neck and pulled her down, bringing her lips gently to his. Her hands flew to his shoulders, seeking support. His lips moved against hers, and before she could respond in kind, he pulled away. 

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Molly smiled softly. “Always.” She kept his gaze for a moment longer before breaking the moment and returning to fixing him up.


End file.
